Contemplating the Bus

Dale Lolley

12/11/2003

On his first or second carry of Sunday's game at Giants Stadium,
Jerome Bettis will pass Franco Harris to become the
eighth-overall rushing leader in NFL history.
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Does that mean Bettis is the eighth-best running back in NFL
history? Hardly.

When you take a look at the players on the list ahead of and just
behind Bettis on the list, it looks like a who's who of NFL
runners.

Up on top there are Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry
Sanders. Just below them are Eric Dickerson, Tony Dorsett, Jim Brown and Marcus Allen.

Of those players, Martin and Faulk are still active and will likely
pass Bettis within the next couple of years, pushing him two
spots down the list.

That will still leave Bettis somewhere in the top 10.
Any talk about the top running backs of all-time has to begin and
end with Brown and Payton.

They may no longer be on the top of the list as both once were,
but both men were so unique in what they did that it's hard not to
consider them the best in history.

Smith tops the list with 17,366 yards and counting - depending
on whether he gains or loses yards for his current team, the
Arizona Cardinals - while Sanders is third at 15,269.

But it's likely Sanders would have been No. 1 had he not decided
to hang up his shifty shoes following his 10th season. Like
Brown, he went out while he was still on top and those two men
are the only two players on the list of top 15 runners who
averaged over 5.0 yards per carry.

Still, Smith has scored an amazing 154 touchdowns - 31 more
than the next closest man on the list, Allen - something that is
hard to overlook. The game is about scoring touchdowns after
all.

Dickerson was a pain in the butt for whatever team had him and
a failure as a sideline reporter, but that doesn't take away from
his accomplishments. He was an extremely durable back and is
worthy of consideration as one of the best ever.

Then there is Dorsett and Allen, two somewhat similar players in
my opinion, especially early in their careers. Both were home-run
hitters, though Allen showed a great knack for scoring later in his
career. Had he not been buried deep in Al Davis' doghouse
midway through his career, he likely would have finished ahead
of Dickerson on the all-time list.

Harris was the heart and soul of four Super Bowl championship
teams, while Thomas was the heart and soul of four teams that
reached the Super Bowl only to fall short.

And when talking about great backs, it's hard to overlook players
such as Gale Sayers, Billy Simms and Earl Campbell.

In my mind, Bettis doesn't rank with the greatest of all-time.
He's been very, very good for a long time. Maybe his last few
seasons have tarnished his image a little bit, although they
actually haven't been any worse that what Smith has done by
hanging on too long.

Bettis may not be one of the top 10 or 15 backs of all time, but he
has to be firmly entrenched in the top 25.

That's why Steelers fans should enjoy these last three games in
which he will carry the ball for their team. Bettis isn't going to be
back next season. Take that to the bank.

But Bill Cowher is doing the right thing, letting Bettis go out on
his own terms as a starter, just how he came in. Bettis has meant so much to this franchise over the past seven
years. He's been their face, their star, their leader. His departure after this season will leave a void both in the
locker room and on the field that will be difficult to fill.